Deep in The Heart to be displayed at the Winedale Historical Complex

Detail from Captain Tom, A Tall Texan, Shirley Stevenson

The Winedale Historical Complex, a division of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin, proudly presents Deep in the Heart: Texas-Themed Quilts from the Winedale Quilt Collection. The exhibit will run Feb. 15–27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"Texas quiltmakers regularly honor the state by creating Texas-themed commemorative, patriotic and family quilts," said Kate Adams, quilt curator at the Briscoe Center. "Deep in the Heart showcases examples of these types of quilts, several of which have never been publically displayed."

Texas-themed quilts include those that incorporate recognizable Texas symbols such as the five-pointed lone star, the state seal, the Alamo or bluebonnets. Others are often more personal, featuring a specific location or person such as a family home or a much-loved ancestor.

"Of special interest in this exhibit are three quilts made by award-winning quiltmaker Shirley Stevenson of Sherman, Texas, who established a quilt collection at the Briscoe Center in 2014," said Adams.

Among Stevenson's quilts on display is the award-winning Captain Tom, A Tall Texan, which has been called "a masterpiece of pictorial appliqué." Also on view is Texas Star, made by Minnie Weeden Rucker of Franklin in 1932, which celebrates the election that year of Franklin D. Roosevelt and John Nance Garner as president and vice president.

A version of the exhibit is planned for display at the Briscoe–Garner Museum in Uvalde later in the spring.

The Winedale Quilt Collection is a scholarly resource that supports the study of quilts and their history. Its mission is to collect, preserve and provide access to American quilts and quilt history materials documenting the role of quilts in American culture.